At Least 4 Die As Yacht Crosses Tug's Towline, Strikes Barge
A Canadian boating accident that killed at least four people on a Seattle-registered yacht happened when the craft cut between a tugboat and a barge the tug was towing, authorities said.
A fifth person, a man, is missing and presumed drowned.
The 40-foot yacht collided with the barge about 9:45 p.m. Saturday off Point Atkinson, near English Bay outside Vancouver Harbor.
Manfai Ngo, 36, and his 5-year-son, Frank Ngo, both of Seattle, were killed, along with Susie Chen, 53, of West Vancouver and Marilyn Waye, 51, of Vancouver. Chen's husband, Louis Chen, was missing and presumed drowned.
It was unclear whether the victims died in the impact or drowned, officials said.
The boat, the Sunny Boy, carried 14 passengers - seven adults and seven children.
Nine rescued victims were taken to Lion's Gate Hospital in North Vancouver and released.
Search-and-rescue crews said some aboard the boat were not wearing life jackets. It was unclear if those who died were wearing them, said Matt Thirkell, a Canadian coast-guard officer.
The fiberglass yacht was submerged after the collision but did not sink, Thirkell said, and it was eventually secured to a pier. It was to remain there while the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canada's Transportation Safety Board investigate.
The yacht was trying to get into position to watch a fireworks display when it passed between the 300-foot barge and its tugboat, and collided with the barge. The barge, the Jose Narvaez, is owned by LaFarge Construction Materials, a Vancouver construction company.
"The Bayliner hit the steel line that is between the tugboat and the barge, causing the Bayliner to flip," RCMP Constable Heidi Hoffman said yesterday.
The captain of the Bayliner failed to heed three warning lights on the tug's mast when it tried to navigate between the two vessels, said West Vancouver RCMP Sgt. Brian Schier.
"When a tug has three lights on its mast, it indicates it's pulling a barge, so you don't go behind a tug that's got three lights on its mast, and that's what this fellow attempted to do," he said.
It's impossible for a heavy barge to stop moving for an approaching vessel, Schier said. "It's like trying to stop a freighter."
Schier said the captain may not have seen the tug late at night, adding that alcohol was not a factor in the accident.
The yacht's propellers likely caught on the underwater cable that was pulling the barge, forcing the yacht under, he said.
Several coast-guard vessels responded to two mayday calls, and the tug's captain also helped in the search and rescue, Schier said.
The missing man was thought to be in the wreckage, which was to be searched after the yacht is raised, Schier said.
Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.
Tracy Jan's phone-message number is 206-748-5812. Her e-mail address is tjan@seattletimes.com
Arthur Santana's phone-message number is 206-515-5684. His e-mail address is asantana@seattletimes.com